Instrument illuminating device with light guide body

ABSTRACT

An illuminating device, for illuminating display designed parts on a display panel, includes at least one light source arranged at a rear side of the display panel, and a light guide body having a light guide portion for guiding the light toward its outer-circumferential portion to output the light toward the display designed parts through a front surface of the light guide portion. The outer-circumferential portion has an outer-circumferential side wall surface at is outer end. The light guide portion has at least one projecting portion projecting from the outer-circumferential side wall surface. The projecting portion is provided with a reflecting side surface formed along the outer-circumferential side wall surface so that the reflecting side surface can reflect the light traveling in the light guide portion to be outputted through the front surface of the light guide portion.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to an instrument illuminating device thatis capable of guiding light outputted from a light source toward anobject or a portion to be irradiated. In particular, the invention isuseful for lighting an instrument of a motor vehicle.

2. Description of the Related Art

A conventional illuminating device of this kind is disclosed in Japanesepatent laid-open publication No. 2003-130693. This conventional lightingdevice is used, for example, to illuminate an indicator of a watertemperature meter provided on an instrument panel of a motor vehicle,and it is equipped with a light source for emitting light, a light guidebody for guiding the light toward an indicator needle, and an indicatorplate having display designed portions, such as scale marks andcharacters, arranged around a center axis of the indicator needle. Thelight source is arranged in the vicinity of a spindle of the indicatorneedle, and the light guide body is arranged between the indicator plateand the light source to receive and guide its light. The light guidebody is made of transparent plastic material such as polycarbonate (PC)and polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA), and is formed to have a sector formwith a first partially-conic surface for reflecting the light introducedfrom the light source in an outer radial direction and a secondpartially-conic surface, which is arranged outwardly in a radialdirection and provided with crimps and the like, for reflecting andguiding the light reflected on the first partially-conic surface towardthe indicator needle and the display plate so as to illuminate them. Thelight guide body is arranged and supported between a scale board and acircuit substrate or a reflecting wall part, being associated at itsrear surface with the reflecting wall part.

The above conventional illuminating device, however, encounters aproblem in that the device cannot uniformly illuminate all parts to beirradiated of the display designed parts thereof, or of the designedparts and a background part in some cases.

In the above conventional illuminating device, the parts to beirradiated, such as the display designed parts or the display designedparts and the background part in some cases, cannot be uniformlyilluminated because of the following reasons.

The light guide body is usually formed by using a molding process suchas injection molding, where a molded light guide body is ejected from amold by thrusting ejector pins to the light guide body. This will causepress flaws due to the press force of the ejector pins on a surface ofthe light guide body, so that these press flaws have opticallydeleterious effects on guidance, reflection and refraction of the light,consequently deteriorating the uniform illumination of all portions tobe irradiated.

Although the above-described document does not disclose a supportstructure of the light guide body on the scale board, circuit substrateor the reflecting wall part, if pressed portions to be pressed by theejector pins are provided to project radially outwardly from an outercircumferential portion of the light guide body so as to avoid theoptical deleterious effects, guidance, reflection and refractioncharacteristics of the light at the pressed portions are changed. Thisalso deteriorates the uniform illumination at and near the pressedportions.

It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide anilluminating device which overcomes the foregoing drawbacks and canenhance uniform illumination of a part to be irradiated of a light guidebody which is integrally formed with a projecting portion which projectsfrom a light guide portion, such as an ejector press portion to bepressed by an ejector pin when the light guide body is ejected from amold in a forming process thereof, and a coupling portion for couplingwith a coupling portion of a support member.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided aninstrument illuminating device that is capable of guiding light toilluminate display designed parts provided on a display plate of aninstrument. The device includes at least one light source which iscapable of emitting light and is arranged at a rear side of the displayplate, and a light guide body having a light guide portion which iscapable of guiding the light from the light source toward anouter-circumferential portion of the light guide body and is capable ofoutputting the light toward the display designed parts through a frontsurface of the light guide portion so that the parts can be illuminated.The outer-circumferential portion has an outer-circumferential side wallsurface at an outer end of the light guide body which is at an oppositeside of the light source and is capable of reflecting the light towardthe front surface within the outer-circumferential portion. The lightguide portion has at least one projecting portion which projectsradially outwardly from part of the outer-circumferential side wallsurface, and the projecting portion has a slotted hole, a slit, or astepped portion having a reflecting inner side surface. The reflectinginner side surface is separated from an outer side of the projectingportion, and is located at a radially inner side of the projectingportion. The reflecting surface is also formed along theouter-circumferential side wall surface so that the reflecting sidesurface can reflect the light traveling in the light guide portion to beoutputted through the front surface of the light guide portion.

Therefore, the instrument illuminating device of the present inventioncan enhance uniform illumination of a part needed to be irradiated ofthe light guide body which is integrally formed with the projectingportion which projects from the light guide portion.

Preferably, the projecting portion is an ejector press portion which iscapable of being pressed when the light guide body which has been moldedis ejected from a mold by using an ejector pin.

Therefore, press flaw remains on the ejector press portion, not on thelight guide portion, because the ejector press portion is formed toproject from the outer-circumferential side wall surface of the lightguide portion and the ejector pin presses the ejector press portion ofthe light guide body in the forming process. This prevents the lightguide portion from being optically damaged due to the press flow.Optical deleterious effects due to the addition of the ejector pressportion can be substantially removed by the reflecting side surfaceprovided on the ejector press portion.

Preferably, the projecting portion is a coupling portion which iscapable of being coupled with a coupling portion of a supporting member.

Therefore, the light guide body can be supported by coupling itscoupling portion with the coupling portion of the supporting memberwithout optical deleterious effects due to formation of the couplingportion on the front surface and a rear surface of the light guideportion. On the other hand, optical deleterious effects due to theaddition of the coupling portion on the outer-circumferential side wallsurface can be substantially removed by the reflecting side surfaceprovided on the coupling portion.

Preferably, the reflecting side surface is an inner side wall surface ofone of a slotted hole, a slit, and a stepped portion formed on theprojecting portion.

Therefore, the reflecting side surface can be easily formed as the innerside wall surface on the projecting portion, and the light guide body,including the inner side wall surface, the projecting portion and thelight guide portion can be integrally molded.

Preferably, the light guide portion has a sector shape, where the lightsource is located at an inner side of the sector and the displaydesigned parts are provided at an outer side of the sector, and anindicator needle is positioned at a center of the sector.

Therefore, the illuminating device can be used for the instrument devicehaving the indicator needle and a partially circular display plate withthe display designed parts arranged around the indicator needle. In thiscase, the device can uniformly illuminate the display designed parts.

Preferably, the illuminating device is used for illuminating the displaydesigned parts on the display plate of an on-vehicle instrument device.

Therefore, the illuminating device can increase the utility of theinstrument device of the motor vehicle.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The objects, features and advantages of the present invention willbecome apparent as the description proceeds when taken in conjunctionwith the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional side view showing an instrument, which isinstalled on an installment panel of a motor vehicle, with instrumentilluminating device of a first embodiment according to the presentinvention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a light guide body which is used inthe instrument illuminating device of the first embodiment;

FIG. 3 is a rear view of the light guide body shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged and fragmentary rear perspective view showing thelight guide body, shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, having on a circumferentialportion thereof an ejector press portion which is pressed by an ejectorpin so as to be ejected from a mold after the light guide body is moldedin a forming process thereof;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged and fragmentary front perspective view showing thelight guide body with the ejector press portion;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged cross-sectional side view showing the outercircumferential portion of the light guide body, the ejector pressportion being formed with a slotted hole on a rear surface thereof andalong an outer circumferential, having a path of traveling light guidedby the light guide body being indicated;

FIG. 7 is an enlarged cross-sectional side view showing comparativeexamples of paths of the light traveling through the light guide bodies,where (a) shows the light path at the ejector press portion with noslotted hole and (b) shows the light path at the outer circumferentialportion with no ejector press portion; and

FIG. 8 is an enlarged cross-sectional side view showing an example of apath of the light, traveling through the light guide body, at a couplingportion which projects from the outer circumferential portion and isformed with a slotted hole along the outer circumferential, having apath of traveling light guided by the light guide body being indicated.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Throughout the following detailed description, similar referencecharacters and numbers refer to similar elements in all figures of thedrawings, and duplicate descriptions are omitted.

Referring to FIG. 1 of the drawing, there is shown an instrument 1,installed on a not-shown instrument panel of a motor vehicle, having aninstrument illuminating device of a preferred embodiment according tothe present invention.

The instrument 1 is a speed meter, a tachometer (an engine speed meter),a fuel meter and the like. The instrument 1 has an indicator needle,display designed parts, including scale marks and characters, and abackground, which are illuminated for enhancing visibility thereof. Theinstrument 1 includes a display panel 2 provided with display designedparts 2 a and a background part 2 b, a reflecting wall part 3, a baseplate 4, the indicator needle 9, an indicator spindle 5, a spindle drivepart 6, a plurality of light sources 7 and a light guide body 8.

The display panel 2 is made of transparent material or translucentmaterial. This display panel 2 is attached to the instrument panel, andis provided with a hole through which the indicator spindle 5 can beinserted. The display designed parts 2 a on the display panel 2 arearranged at appropriate positions, for example, along an inner side ofan outer semi-circumference of the light guide body 8 (being at-leastpartially arranged around the indicator needle 5) and at other innerpositions in this embodiment. The display designed parts 2 a are usedfor displaying the characters, the scale marks, and they are transparentor translucent, while the background part 2 b is opaque in thisembodiment. The background part 2 b may also be translucent, where inthis case light can pass therethrough, so that the background part 2 bis set to suppress brightness of the light. For example, in both cases,the background part 2 b may be printed in dark color such as black, andthe display designed parts 2 a may be printed in other brighter colorssuch as an orange color.

The reflecting wall part 3 is formed to have an outer wall portion 3 aat its outer side, a first conical wall portion 3 b inside of the outerwall portion 3 a, and a second conical wall portion 3 c in the firstconical wall portion 3 b. The outer wall portion 3 a is formed in asemicircular cylindrical shape. The first conical wall portion 3 b isformed to extend from its inner base-plate side portion toward its outerdisplay-panel side portion, and it is integrally connected with an innersurface of the outer wall portion 3 a. The second conical wall portion 3c is formed to be integrally connected at its bottom portion with abottom portion of the first conical wall portion 3 b and to extend fromits outer base-plate side portion toward its inner display-side portion.The second conical wall portion 3 c is provided with a center hole forreceiving the indicator spindle 5 therethrough, and with a plurality ofholes for each receiving the light sources 7. This configuration enablesthe reflecting wall part 3 to be fixed on the base plate 4 by movingrearward and then fixing in a state where the light sources 7 and anoutput shaft, projecting through the base plate 4, of the spindle drivepart 6 are attached on the base plate 4. The front surface of thereflecting wall part 3 is made so that the light 100 can be reflected onthe front surface to travel toward a rear surface of the light guidebody 8.

The base plate 4 is placed at a rear side of the display panel 2,located away from a rear surface thereof to be arranged in parallelthereto. The base plate 4 is provided thereon with the light sources 7,their not-shown drive circuit, the spindle drive part 6, and itsnot-shown electric circuit.

The indicator spindle 5 is coupled on its top portion with a cap portion9 a of an indicator needle 9 to be rotated by the spindle drive part 6.The needle 9 is placed over a front surface of the display panel 2 andextends radially outwardly from the cap portion 9 a so as to indicate avehicle speed or an engine speed, for example. The indicator needle 9 ismade of transparent material or translucent material so as to pass andguide the light from the light sources 7 and cast it toward eyes of auser through an entire front surface thereof.

The spindle drive part 6 employs an electric motor.

The light sources 7 employ light emitting diodes (LEDs) in thisembodiment, which is preferable because of lower manufacturing costs dueto easy assembly and direct mount on the base plate 4, although they mayuse other sources of light. The light sources 7 are arranged around theindicator spindle 5, being evenly spaced apart from each other and alsobeing located in the holes of the reflecting wall part 3. They cast thelight forward (in an upper direction in FIG. 1) toward a light receivingflat surface 80 of the light guide body 8.

The light guide body 8 is made of transparent material, and is formedlike a sector shape centered on the spindle 5, having asemi-circumference, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. It includes a light guideportion 8A for guiding the light 100 emitted from the light sources 7therethrough so as to output the light through a front surface of thelight guide portion 8A to uniformly illuminate the display designedparts 2 a, as shown in FIG. 1. An inner portion of the light guide body8 is bent rearward to form the light receiving flat surface 80, which isset in parallel to the base plate 4. As shown in FIG. 3, on the flatsurface 80, a hole and a pin portion are provided for positioning andconnecting the light guide body 8 and the base plate to each other byusing a not-shown hole and a pin provided on the base plate 4.

The light guide portion 8A is continuously connected with the innerportion thereof, being formed to extend obliquely and outward-radiallytoward the display panel 2. The thickness of the light guide portion 8Ais set to become thinner in an outwardly radial direction. A rearsurface of the light guide portion 8A is formed to have a reflectingportion 83, as shown in FIG. 3, consisting of a plurality of crimps insemi-circumferential shapes which are centered on the spindle 5. Thecrimps are formed to have semicircular shapes with the same center, andthe number of crimps is appropriately determined. The reflecting portion83 reflects the light 100 so that the light 100 can move forward andreach the display designed parts 2 a to be uniformly irradiated.

As shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, on the outer circumferential portion of thelight guide portion 8A, three ejector press portions 81 are alsointegrally formed to project from the outer circumferential portion, andare spaced from each other therealong. They are used for ejecting thelight guide body from a not-shown mold by using three not-shown ejectorpins after the light guide body 8 is molded in a forming processthereof. Each of the ejector press portions 81 corresponds to aprojecting portion of the present invention.

The ejector press portions 81 are formed with a slotted hole 811 at itsrear side and along the outer circumferential portion. Specifically,inner side wall surfaces 811 a of the ejector press portions 81 areformed along an outer-circumferential side surface 810 of the lightguide portion 8A. In other words, they have the same radius as that ofthe outer-circumferential side wall surface 810 provided at an outer endof the outer circumferential portion of the light guide body 8.Consequently, the inner side wall surfaces 811 a function as theouter-circumferential side wall surface 810 in the ejector pressportions 81, which provide similar optical effects therebetween.Incidentally, each of the inner side wall surfaces 811 a corresponds toa reflecting side surface of the present invention.

The slotted holes 811 may be replaced by slits having inner side wallportions with the same radius as that of the outer-circumferential sidewall surface 810. The slotted holes 811 and each of the slitscorresponds to a cut-in portion of the present invention.

As shown FIGS. 2, 3 and 5, on the outer circumferential portion of thelight guide portion 8A, two coupling portions 82 are also integrallyformed to project from the outer circumferential portion so that theyare capable of coupling with three not-shown coupling portionsintegrally formed on the inner surface of the reflecting wall part 3,and thereby function as a supporting member of the present invention.The coupling portions of the reflecting wall part 3 are formed as clawsand the coupling portions 82 of the light guide body 8 are formed ashooks so that they can be coupled with each other when the light guidebody 8 is placed, at its proper position by using pin portions and holesformed thereon, in the reflecting wall part 3. The coupling portions ofthe light guide body 8 and the reflecting wall part 3 are capable ofbeing bent because of their elasticity so as to be easily coupled witheach other.

Specifically, as shown in FIG. 5, each of the coupling portions 82 areformed with a stepped portion having an inner side wall surface 822formed along the outer-circumferential side wall surface 810 of thelight guide portion 8A. In other words, the inner side wall surface 822has the same radius as that of the outer-circumferential side wallsurface 810 of the outer circumferential portion of the light guide body8. Consequently, the inner side wall surfaces 822 function as theouter-circumferential side wall surface 810 in the coupling portions 82,which provides similar optical effects therebetween. Incidentally, eachof the inner side wall surfaces 822 corresponds to a reflecting sidesurface of the present invention.

A coupling front surface 821 is formed rearward from a rear edge of theinner side wall surface 822, projecting out-radially therefrom. Thecoupling front surface 821 has a tapered (beveled) surface 821 afunctioning as a part of the hook. Incidentally, the stepped portion ofthe coupling portions 82 corresponds to the cut-in portion of thepresent invention.

The indicator needle 9 is configured to emit light from its frontsurface, because its front surface has a fluorescent coating, the topportion thereof has a light source, or a light source is provided on thebase plate 4, although their construction is omitted in FIG. 1.

The instrument 1 with the illuminating device of the embodiment isassembled as follows.

The spindle drive part 6 is attached on the rear surface of the baseplate 4, its indicator spindle 5 passing through the base plate 6, andthe light sources 7 and their drive circuit are installed on the frontsurface of base plate 4 around the spindle 5.

Then, the reflecting wall part 3 is brought rearward from a front sideof the base plate 4 and is attached on the front surface of the baseplate 4, surrounding the indicator spindle 5 and the light sources 7 tobe exposed frontward. In this state, the light guide body 8 is broughtinto the reflecting wall part 3, and they are coupled with each other bytheir coupling portions, being positioned relative to the reflectingwall part 4 by using the pin portions and the holes.

Subsequently, the display panel 2 is placed on the reflecting wall part3. Then, the cap portion 9 a of the indicator 9 is fit on a top portionof the indicator spindle 5.

The operation of the instrument 1 with the illuminating device of theembodiment will be described.

As shown in FIG. 1, the light 100 is emitted frontward from the lightsources 7 to hit the light receiving surface 80. The light 100 enters aninterior of the light body 8, and it travels therein and is reflected onthe front surface and the rear surface of the light guide portion 8A.Some of the light 100 passes toward the display plate 2 through thefront surface of the light guide portion 8A, and the rest of the light100 travels radially outward in the light guide portion 8A. Thispassing-through and reflection of the light 100 in the light guideportion 8A generates substantially uniformly all over the front surfaceof the light guide portion 8A, although only two light paths which passthrough the front surface of the light guide portion 8A are illustratedin FIG. 1 for an easy viewing.

Some of the light 100 travels to the outer circumferential portion ofthe light guide portion 8A after it is reflected on the front surfaceand/or between the front surface and the rear surface of the light guideportion 8A.

The light 100 in the outer circumferential portion varies its pathsaccording to configurations thereof.

When the light 100 travels to the outer-circumferential side wallsurface 810, excluding those of the ejector press portions 81 and thecoupling portions 82, of the light guide portion 8A, most of the light100 is reflected on the outer-circumferential side wall surface 810 topass frontward and inner-obliquely through the front surface thereof asshown in FIG. 7 (b). This passing light 100 may hit the display designedparts 2 a so that a user can see it.

On the other hand, some of the light 100 travels to the ejector pressportions 81 without the slotted holes of the embodiment as shown in FIG.7 (a), the light travels beyond a position, which is indicated by adotted line with reference to the outer-circumferential side wallsurface 810 of FIG. 7 (b), having the same radius as that of theouter-circumferential side wall surface 810. In this case, the light 100is not reflected here, traveling further outwardly in the radialdirection. This reduces the light 100 for illumination of theouter-circumferential portion near root portions of the ejectorcorresponding portions 81, thereby deteriorating uniform illumination ofthe display designed parts 2 a. In FIG. 7 (a), the light 100 is passingthrough an outer side wall surface of the ejector press portions 81,because the ejector press portions 81 are slightly angled with respectto the light guide portion 8A, so as to be parallel to the display plate2 when they are assembled with each other. Some of the light 100 may bereflected on the outer side wall thereof according to an angletherebetween, but in this case, there is deterioration of the uniformillumination of the outer-circumferential portion near the root portionsof the ejector press portions 81.

In addition, a similar problem occurs at portions of theouter-circumferential portion near root portions of the couplingportions 82.

However, in the embodiment, the ejector press portions 81 are providedwith the slotted holes 811 forming the inner side wall surfaces 811 aformed along the outer-circumferential side wall surface 810, andaccordingly the optical effect changes here. When the light 100 traveltoward the ejector press portions 81, it hits the inner side wallsurfaces 811 a on the ejector press portions 81. Most of the light 100is reflected, as shown in FIG. 6, on the inner side wall surfaces 811 a,which have the same radius of that of the outer-circumferential sidewall surface 810, to travel frontward and inner-obliquely as well as ina state shown in FIG. 7 (b). This enhances uniform illumination of thedisplay designed parts 2 a on the outer-circumferential portion betweenthe areas near and not-near the ejector press portions 81.

In addition, the coupling portions of the embodiment are configured tohave the inner side wall surfaces 822 with the same radius as that ofthe outer-circumferential side wall surface 810 of the light guideportion 81. Therefore, most of the light 100 is reflected, as shown inFIG. 8, on the inner side wall surfaces 822 to travel frontward andinner-obliquely as well as in a state shown in FIG. 7 (b). This enhancesuniform illumination of the display designed parts 2 a on theouter-circumferential portion between the areas near and not-near thecoupling portions 82.

Incidentally, the indicator needle 9 emits the light as described above.Therefore, the user can see the indicator needle 9 and the displaydesigned parts 2 a at the substantially same brightness, which enhancesvisibility thereof.

The illuminating device of the embodiment used for the instrument 1 hasthe following advantages.

The ejector press portions 81 are provided to project radially fromparts of the outer circumference of the light guide portion 8A of thelight guide body 8. When the light guide body 8 is molded by using aninjection molding, for example, the ejector press portions 81 arepressed by ejector pins so that the molded light guide body 8 can beejected from the mold. In this forming process, although press flawsremain on the ejector press portions 81, the light guide portion 8A ofthe light guide portion 8A can avoid the press flaws, which enables thelight guide portion 8A to be free from the optical deleterious effectson guidance, reflection and refraction of the light passing therethroughand therein. Similar effects can be obtained by the coupling portions 82which are project radially outward from the outer-circumferentialportion of the light guide portion 8A.

In addition, the ejector press portions 81 and the coupling portions 82,which also project from the outer-circumferential portion of the lightguide portion 8A, are provided with the slotted holes and the steppedportions, respectively. They have the inner side wall surfaces 811 a and822, which have the same radius as that of the outer-circumferentialportion of the light guide portion 8A, which can avoid another opticalproblem due to addition of the ejector press portions 81 and thecoupling portions 82. That is, the inner side wall surfaces 811 a and822 reflect most of the light frontward and inner-radially, so that theycan enhance the uniform illumination of the display designed parts nearthe ejector press portions 81 and the coupling portions 82.

The illuminating device is used for the instrument 1 of a motor vehicle,where the instrument has the indicator needle 9, the display designedparts 2 a arranged on the sector shape and surrounding the indicatorneedle 9 and the display panel 2 provided with the display designedparts 2 a. Therefore, substantially uniform illumination of the displaydesigned part 2 a can be obtained, thereby improving the visibility anddisplay quality of the instrument 1.

While the invention has been particularly shown and described withreference to preferred embodiments thereof, it will be understood thatvarious modifications may be made therein. The invention is intended tocover in the appended claims all such modifications as fall within thetrue spirit and scope of the invention.

The illuminating device is used for the instrument panel of the motorvehicle in this embodiment, and may be used for other devices which needsubstantially uniform illumination.

The display designed parts 2 a may be arranged to entirely surround thecenter axis 5 a of the indicator spindle 5.

The slotted holes 811 and the stepped portions may be provided on onesurface opposite to the surface of the embodiment. They may also bereplaced by slots as long as their inner side wall surfaces are setalong the outer-circumferential portion of the light guide portion 8A.

The background part 2 b on the display panel 2 may be set so that it canpass the light. The display designed parts 2 a and the background part 2b can be designed appropriately.

The projecting portions may be used for portions different from theejector press portions and the coupling portions as long as they are notneeded to be irradiated.

Although the supporting member is the reflecting wall part 3 in theembodiment, it is not limited thereto, and it may be another member.

The configuration of the outer-circumferential portion of the lightguide portion 8A of the light guide body 8 is preferable, but it is notlimited to a part or an entire side wall surface of a circular cylinderand it can be set appropriately.

The entire contents of Japanese Patent Application No. 2007-113605 filedApr. 24, 2007 are incorporated herein by reference.

1. An instrument illuminating device for illuminating display designedparts on a display panel of an instrument, said instrument illuminatingdevice comprising: a light source for emitting light, said light sourceto be arranged at a rear side of the display panel; and a light guidebody having a light receiving surface for receiving the light from saidlight source, an outer circumferential portion, and a light guideportion configured to guide the light from said light source toward saidouter circumferential portion of said light guide body, said light guidebody being configured to output the light toward the display designedparts through a front surface of said light guide portion so as toilluminate the display designed parts, said outer circumferentialportion having an outer circumferential side wall surface at an outercircumference of said light guide body, said outer circumferential sidewall surface being located at a side of said light guide body opposite aside at which said light source is located, said outer circumferentialside wall surface being reflective so as to reflect the light toward afront surface of said outer circumferential portion; wherein said lightguide body has a projecting portion projecting radially outwardly from apart of said outer circumferential side wall surface, said projectingportion having one of a slotted hole, a slit, or a stepped portion witha reflective inner side wall forming a reflective inner side surface ofsaid projecting portion, said reflective inner side surface beingseparated from an outer side of said projecting portion and beinglocated at a radially-inner side of said projecting portion, saidreflective inner side surface also being formed along a remaining partof said outer circumferential side wall surface so that said reflectiveside surface reflects the light traveling through said light guideportion so that the light is output through said front surface of saidlight guide portion to thereby prevent the light from reaching saidouter side of said projecting portion through said reflective sidesurface.
 2. The instrument illuminating device of claim 1, wherein saidprojecting portion comprises an ejector press portion for receiving anejector pin configured to eject said light guide body from a mold. 3.The instrument illuminating device of claim 2, wherein said reflectiveinner side surface is formed on said ejector press portion.
 4. Theinstrument illuminating device of claim 3, wherein said light guideportion has a sector shape, said light source being located at an innerside of said sector shape and the display designed parts are provided atan outer side of said sector shape, and an indicator needle of theinstrument is to be positioned at a center of said sector shape.
 5. Theinstrument illuminating device of claim 1, wherein said projectingportion comprises a coupling portion for coupling said light guide bodyto a supporting member.
 6. The instrument illuminating device of claim5, wherein said reflective inner side surface is formed on said couplingportion.
 7. The instrument illuminating device of claim 6, wherein saidlight guide portion has a sector shape, said light source being locatedat an inner side of said sector shape and the display designed parts areprovided at an outer side of said sector shape, and an indicator needleof the instrument is to be positioned at a center of said sector shape.8. The instrument illuminating device of claim 1, wherein saidreflective inner side surface is formed on said projecting portion. 9.The instrument illuminating device of claim 8, wherein said light guideportion has a sector shape, said light source being located at an innerside of said sector shape and the display designed parts are provided atan outer side of said sector shape, and an indicator needle of theinstrument is to be positioned at a center of said sector shape.
 10. Theinstrument illuminating device of claim 1, wherein said light guideportion has a sector shape, said light source being located at an innerside of said sector shape and the display designed parts are provided atan outer side of said sector shape, and an indicator needle of theinstrument is to be positioned at a center of said sector shape.
 11. Theinstrument illuminating device of claim 1, wherein said outercircumferential side wall surface of said outer circumferential portionand said reflective inner side surface of said projecting portion have acommon center and the same radius.
 12. The instrument illuminatingdevice of claim 1, wherein said projecting portion has one of a slottedhole or a slit with said reflective inner side wall forming saidreflective inner side surface of said projecting portion.
 13. Aninstrument comprising: a display panel for a vehicle; display designedparts on said display panel; and an instrument illuminating device forilluminating said display designed parts on said display panel, saidinstrument illuminating device comprising: a light source for emittinglight, said light source being arranged at a rear side of said displaypanel; and a light guide body having a light receiving surface forreceiving the light from said light source, an outer circumferentialportion, and alight guide portion configured to guide the light fromsaid light source toward said outer circumferential portion of saidlight guide body, said light guide body being configured to output thelight toward said display designed parts through a front surface of saidlight guide portion so as to illuminate said display designed parts,said outer circumferential portion having an outer circumferential sidewall surface at an outer circumference of said light guide body, saidouter circumferential side wall surface being located at a side of saidlight guide body opposite a side at which said light source is located,said outer circumferential side wall surface being reflective so as toreflect the light toward a front surface of said outer circumferentialportion; wherein said light guide body has a projecting portionprojecting radially outwardly from a part of said outer circumferentialside wall surface, said projecting portion having one of a slotted hole,a slit, or a stepped portion with a reflective inner side wall forming areflective inner side surface of said projecting portion, saidreflective inner side surface being separated from an outer side of saidprojecting portion and being located at a radially inner side of saidprojecting portion, said reflective inner side surface also being formedalong a remaining part of said outer circumferential side wall surfaceso that said reflective side surface reflects the light travelingthrough said light guide portion so that the light is output throughsaid front surface of said light guide portion to thereby prevent thelight from reaching said outer side of said projecting portion throughsaid reflective side surface.
 14. The instrument of claim 13, whereinsaid projecting portion comprises an ejector press portion for receivingan ejector pin configured to eject said light guide body from a mold.15. The instrument of claim 14, wherein said reflective inner sidesurface is formed on said ejector press portion.
 16. The instrument ofclaim 15, wherein said light guide portion has a sector shape, saidlight source being located at an inner side of said sector shape and thedisplay designed parts are provided at an outer side of said sectorshape, and an indicator needle of the instrument is to be positioned ata center of said sector shape.
 17. The instrument of claim 13, whereinsaid projecting portion comprises a coupling portion for coupling saidlight guide body to a supporting member.
 18. The instrument of claim 17,wherein said reflective inner side surface is formed on said couplingportion.
 19. The instrument of claim 18, wherein said light guideportion has a sector shape, said light source being located at an innerside of said sector shape and the display designed parts are provided atan outer side of said sector shape, and an indicator needle of theinstrument is to be positioned at a center of said sector shape.
 20. Theinstrument of claim 13, wherein said reflective inner side surface isformed on said projecting portion.
 21. The instrument of claim 20,wherein said light guide portion has a sector shape, said light sourcebeing located at an inner side of said sector shape and the displaydesigned parts are provided at an outer side of said sector shape, andan indicator needle of the instrument is to be positioned at a center ofsaid sector shape.
 22. The instrument of claim 13, wherein said lightguide portion has a sector shape, said light source being located at aninner side of said sector shape and the display designed parts areprovided at an outer side of said sector shape, and an indicator needleof the instrument is to be positioned at a center of said sector shape.23. The instrument of claim 13, wherein said outer circumferential sidewall surface of said outer circumferential portion and said reflectiveinner side surface of said projecting portion have a common center andthe same radius.
 24. The instrument of claim 13, wherein said projectingportion has one of a slotted hole or a slit with said reflective innerside wall forming said reflective inner side surface of said projectingportion.